1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a multifunctional apparatus, and more particularly, a multifunctional apparatus equipped with a paper jam recovery device and a method for recovering from a paper jam.
2. Related Art
Office automation equipment can be used to perform many functions such as printing documents, transmitting facsimile documents, scanning documents, and copying documents. Office automation equipment may be manufactured in the form of single-function individual devices for example printers, facsimile machines, scanners and copiers, to perform the functions listed above. Such single-function devices have been designed to perform primarily one task. The purchase of several single-function devices may impose an undesired burden on the financial budgets of users. In order to solve this problem, the functionality of different single-function individual devices can be combined into a one multifunctional device. The economic burden on users can be lessened because users can purchase one multifunctional device in lieu of purchasing several single-function devices.
One example of a conventional single-function device is a conventional scanner device. A conventional scanner is designed to convert images recorded on a document into a computer-compatible electronic form. The images recorded on the document can be scanned as follows. An amount of light is first transmitted to the document from a source. As a result, the image data on the document causes some of that light to be reflected in a particular pattern. The pattern of reflected light is then supplied to a fixed array of light sensors through an intermediate image reduction mirror. The light sensors in the array can be charge-coupled devices (CCD) or contact image sensors (CIS). Then circuitry in the scanner senses the status of each sensing element in the array one by one, in order, to register the brightness of each point in each individual scan line. After the scanner has collected and arranged the data from each sensor, the next line of data can be read. Image data read from a document can be recorded onto a recordable medium. Image data read from a document can be considered as scanned data or scan data.
There are two main categories of conventional scanner devices: the shuttle type and the array type. The array type shall be considered first. The array type of scanner scans the data recorded on the document per a line unit, when a line scanner module having a size similar to, or larger than, the width of the document is fixed at a predetermined position inside of the multifunctional device. The scanner module is typically stationary while the document is transported along a path of conveyance through the scanner device.
The shuttle type of scanner can be described as follows. The shuttle type of scanner typically has a guide axis, a transporting belt, and a driving source for driving the guide axis and the transporting belt, which are all established at the scanning unit, in order to reciprocate the scanner module perpendicular to the document transporting direction. Thus, the scanner module is typically transported back and forth along a first path while the document is transported along a second path through the scanner device, the first and second paths being perpendicular to one another.
One example of a multifunctional device is a printer-scanner-facsimile machine. The printer-scanner-facsimile machine is capable of performing the functions of a printer, scanner, and facsimile machine, and can include a scanning unit, an image forming unit, and transportation rollers. The printer-scanner-facsimile machine multifunctional device can record three different types of data onto a recordable medium. In other words, the printer-scanner-fax machine can print three different types of data onto a piece of paper. The aforementioned three types of data include fax data, print data, and scan data. In this instance, fax data is data which is received through a telephone line from a remote facsimile machine, print data is data which is received from a connected host computer, and scan data is data which is received from a scanner unit.
A conventional printer-scanner-fax machine can use a first set of rollers to transport a blank page of paper from a first tray to an image-forming unit, form an image on the page of paper using the image-forming unit, and then use a second set of rollers to transport the page of paper to a second tray. The image formed on the page of paper can be developed from fax data, scan data, or print data, as discussed above.
The page of paper can become jammed or stuck in the conventional printer-scanner-fax machine described above at any one of several locations. For example, the page of paper could become jammed near the first set of rollers, near the image forming unit, or near the second set of rollers. When the page of paper becomes jammed, a paper jam error condition exists. I have found that when a paper jam error occurs during a printing process, the conventional printer-scanner-fax machine often is unable to efficiently recover from the error condition.
Examples of devices and methods controlling printing processes are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,298 for Printing Apparatus Having Means for Clearing Unwanted Print Data Stored in an Input Buffer and Abolishing Ensuing Residual Print Data issued to Okamoto; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,081 for Printer With Automatic Restart issued to Yamaguchi et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,629 for Job Recovery Method And System issued to Kuseski; U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,522 for Printer System And Method issued to Kasai; U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,046 for Selective Ejection Of Sensed Paper Jams In Signal Sheet Paper Processing Equipment issued to Beaufort et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,315 for Output Apparatus issued to Nakajima; U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,221 for Digital Copying Apparatus Capable Of Efficiently Restarting A Copy Operation After A Paper Jam issued to Takano; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,074 for Printing Control Apparatus With Error Recovery Function And Its Print Control Method issued to Kageyama.
Currently there do exist some devices capable of controlling printing processes under certain conditions. However, I have discovered that it would be desirable to develop a printer-scanner-facsimile machine multifunctional device which further enhances the efficiency of printing processes.